Need help with a system NEWBIE

[foonanas]

What? Subwoofer placement is NOT that important. The frequencies from a subwoofer are nondirectional (unlike frequencies from mids & tweets which are more unidirectional which is why the best imaging is to have them pointed right at the listening position).

I am not 100% sure if car audio is like home audio but yes sub placement is very important. In home audio if the sub is not placed in the correct location you can create a NULL. I was at a Sencore (they build calibrating gear for audio and video) training class and they created on of these. You could take two steps in a certain direction and BAM not a damn thing. then two steps back and you could feel the base or a few steps forward.

But like I said not sure if this will happen in car audio. I do not see why it would not!!

 

[Limited2K]

I agree, two subs can also be too much. One good sub with the right wattage can make a world of difference. My one 10" Kicker has been mistaken for multiple subs many times. It's all about following specs for wattage and enclosures. The fun part about audio is that you can always upgrade. Start small and see what you like

 

[Offroader5]

I am not 100% sure if car audio is like home audio but yes sub placement is very important. In home audio if the sub is not placed in the correct location you can create a NULL. I was at a Sencore (they build calibrating gear for audio and video) training class and they created on of these. You could take two steps in a certain direction and BAM not a damn thing. then two steps back and you could feel the base or a few steps forward.

But like I said not sure if this will happen in car audio. I do not see why it would not!!

Big difference between putting subs in a large room and putting subs in a small car.

A vehicles cabin adds a certain level of db gain. The smaller the vehicle the more gain. It's called "cabin gain". This is due to the small confines of the vehicle cabin vs. a more open-air enviroment like a living room for instance.

Now, yes...based on where you place the sub you could use surfaces in the vehicle to reflect the sound...and it CAN make it sound louder but that is not what the sub and enclosure really sounds like. Also, if you've gone through alot of time to build an enclosure tuned to a specific frequency, the "bounce" can change the end result. From past experience, the more you bounce, the more muddy the bass sounds.

The only good thing IMO about aiming or placing a sub/enclosure to purposely acheive soundwave bounce...is if you're trying to make up for not having enough power in the first place and only want the low, muddy, resonant bass notes.

 

[haganwalker]

what i did...

I was in your situation not so long ago, I wanted some bass in my 1998 4Runner (now I have a 2006 Limited) but didn't want to spend alot of money. Bass is nice, and I didn't need anything top of the line...I had a pioneer AVIC F700BT that I installed myself, (bought off of eBay for $400 at the time), still a good radio, and I would try out an active enclosure for now...some people on here are going to call me crazy...but they are easy to install, have a built in amp that is configured for the sub, will most likely give you the bass you want, and they are cheap. Check out Fusion Electronics Active Enclosures | FUSION Electronics ...again people are going to think i'm sending you on the cheap route, but at your age, trust me, i've been there...and its better to compromise and get something you like, that you can upgrade later, and actually have some money left over for gas, or hanging out, eating out with friends, spending money on a date...I had the single 10" active enclosure, and playing something like basshunter turned all the way up, it would rattle my windows...if you want something even louder, look at their 12's. Read up on them, decide what you want...then check eBay. I can vouch that although fusion isn't the highest on the charts, I was satisfied, and I think I spent less than $200 on the whole active enclosure. Keep in mind that you dont necessarily want to use up your whole trunk either...the 10" was a good size. I hope that helps, and I hope you decide to keep some money in your pocket.